printIn a procedure that was aptly dubbed “Cash For Cloture,” “The Senate voted on Saturday to begin full debate on major health care legislation,” reports the NYT, “propelling President Obama’s top domestic initiative over a crucial, preliminary hurdle in a formidable display of muscle-flexing by the Democratic majority. … The 60-to-39 vote, along party lines, clears the way for weeks of rowdy floor proceedings that will begin after Thanksgiving and last through much of December.”
I have not found a news report that specifies which of the Bill’s permutations will proceed in the Senate.
I suspect it is the one called “S1796: America’s Healthy Future Act.” Here’s a summary of the Baucus Bill.
“Prohibits QHBPs from excluding coverage for preexisting conditions, or otherwise limiting or conditioning coverage based on any health status-related factors.” from Baucus Bill via IM
Definition of “insurance” from http://www.investorwords.com/2510/insurance.html:
“A promise of compensation for specific potential future losses in exchange for a periodic payment. Insurance is designed to protect the financial well-being of an individual, company or other entity in the case of unexpected loss.”
If we are going to do socialism then this seems an extremely complicated way to go about it. But let us not call it “insurance”.
Liberty and private charity would take care of all medical needs in this country and much better than any other system.
However, we have not had liberty in this country so there is a lot of unjust distribution of wealth. I would be in favor of pragmatic means to care for all US citizens while we move toward liberty. High progressive wealth taxes if necessary. Simply recovery of stolen goods, IMO.
I liked “The Louisiana purchase” myself. “I am not going to be defensive,” she [Landrieu] declared. “And it’s not a $100 million fix. It’s a $300 million fix.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/21/AR2009112102272_pf.html
As if the insult is selling your vote for to little, as opposed to selling your vote, period.
The naive part of me was hoping that this bill wouldn’t pass but I clearly gave these crooks too much credit. Soon we will have a bill that takes $450 billion from (already bankrupt) Medicare to pay for a brand new entitlement program. How long before that one is underfunded as well?
America’s Healthy Future Act? I think I’m going to vomit.
H R 3590 is what the senate voted on a motion of cloture to proceed
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=s2009-353
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-3590
http://republican.senate.gov/healthcare/
“And it’s not a $100 million fix. It’s a $300 million fix.”
As the democratic comedian, Will Rogers said- “We have the best politicians money can buy.”
It has to clear the Senate and then be reconciled with the House bill and reclear both houses. Not trivial.
The sad part is that the Supreme Court will not do anything about this blatant usurpation of power so it has to be stopped at the Congressional level.
The government in general and congress in particular has always been the home of shady deals and shady players. Both parties. However the democrats have always seemed to raise sleazy practices to an art form. Now that they have a huge majority, a helpful media, a seemingly stupid public and a spineless opposition their arrrogance won’t even allow them to stick to smoke filled rooms. They flaunt their corruption and thumb their noses at the public.
We get the government we deserve.